Remember all of the rules for melodic dictation? They are the same for Sightreading!
Remember (and these can be for EITHER example)
One in treble, one in bass.
One in a major key, one in minor (can use all 3 minors!)
One in 4/4 or 3/4, one in 6/8
The FINAL note is tonic. If 4/4=half note. If 3/4=dotted half. If 6/8=DOTTED quarter.
Opening melodic patterns:
1-2-3 1-3-5 1-7-1 1-3 1-2-7
Closing melodic patterns:
2-5-1 2-7-1 5-7-1 3-2-1-7-1 3-2-1 5-6-7-8 (frequent in melodic minor!!)
PROCEDURE FOR 2020:
1 – SING THE TESSITURA of the exercise. TONIC – highest pitch in the melody – TONIC-lowest pitch in the melody. Make sure you’re singing the correct tonality ( major or minor )
2 – Sing through the exercise SLOWLY once. Quarter = 60-80. Figure out what you can’t sing and PLAY it for yourself on a piano or instrument. Use that instrument to teach yourself the melody. Watch your rhythm.
*if you’re going to use a transposing instrument to help you – you need to sing your scale in the key of your transposing instrument so your pitch matches the pitch of your instrument*
3 – GET WHAT YOU CAN. Be really good at 2 measures and GET THE FINAL NOTE even if you have to just hold a steady beat on the tonic to get there.
4 – When it is time to record, SING A MODERATELY SLOW tempo. Again, between 60-80. Neither Do not let a metronome or the pitched instrument be heard on your recording.